Coin separating and counting machine



April 7 1931- E. P. DONNELLAN COIN SEPARATING AND COUNTING MACHINE Filed March 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ti al.

April 7, i931. E. Ft DONNELLAN 1,799,784

COIN SEPAHATING AND COUNTNG MACHINE Filed March 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTUR/VEY Patented Apr. 7, 1931 uNriaD STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD P. DON'NLLAN, OF BROOKLYN, NW YORK. ASG-NOR TO STANDARD-JOHNSON COMPANY, INC., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATGN OF NEW YORK COIN SEPARATING AND CUNTENG BIACHINE Application filed March 26, 1928. Serial No. 26%,7'16

This invention relates generally to improvements in coin handling and counting machines; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to improved mechanism for counting coins of mixed denominations by registering and accumulating the values thereof on a totalizing register.

This inventiini has for its principal object to provide in connection with coin handling machines generally and especially in connection with machines adapted to botl'i assort and count coins of mixed denominations, novel coin actuated means for operating a single register so as to accumulate the individual values and record the total monetary value of the coins passed through such machines.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from. the following detailed description of the same.

In the accompanying drawings used to illustra'te-tlie invention;

Figure 1 is an elevation View in section showing a coin sorting apparatus in part, with the countingapparatus of the invention in operative relation thereto;

Figures 2 and 3 are section viewstaken along the lines 2-2 and 3 3, respectively of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the respective arrows;

Figure 4 is a section view taken similarly to that of Figure 2 but of an alternate embodiment; and

Figure 5 is a section view taken along the linei 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring first to Figures l to 3, inclusive, I have shown one form o3, the novel coin actuated register operating in operative relation to a machine Lfor assorting and counting coins of the general type disclosed in my United States Patent, No. 1,655,412, January 28, 1928, and in my copending application for United States Letters Patent, Ser. No. 156,484, liled November 19, 1927, iii which the mixed coins are successively delivered into the slots 1G o1" rotatable carrier 1i, and are caused to engage and ride upon a, series of vertically spaced annular coin runways l2 ferii'zed iii connection. with a. casing 13 surrounding the rotatable carrier 1l, and so tliattlie several 55 denominations ci coins travel respectively in different predetermined paths of movement.

Mounted on the exterior side nf said ca: g 13, and :secured thereto by suitable fastening its actuating mechanism. Journaled in the bearing bracket 1 secured 'Within the upper end of the housing 15 is the center spindle 17 of a register device. The register device conimeans le?, a housing 15 for the :register and 6u prises the usual numbered indicating wheels '65 consisting essentiallyY iii a units Wheel 18, a tens wheel 19, a hundreds wheel20, and` such additional wheels 21 as may be necessary to provide a desired totalizing capacity in: the

register. The respective wheels 18, 19, 2O and 7l? in a manner well known to'tliose skilled in the art. The housingr l5 is provided, adjacent to said registering or indicating Wheels or the register device, with a Windowy 15 through 80 which the recording may be read.

Provided in connection with said housing 15 are bearings or supports 2lito support a numerals of the Wheels stationary shaft 25 in parallel relation to and 8 below the register device. Retail-ably rnounted on said shaft 25 'to mesh with and drivel the actuating gear 18 is a transmission gear 26. Cooperating with said transmission gear llff successive registering or indicating Wheels, all

26 is a drive pinion 27 provided Wit-li a 90 ratchet-wheelelement 28 rotatable therewith adjacent to said transmission gear 26, the latter having mounted on its body a spring pressed pivoted paivl 29 which operatireiv engages said ratchet wheel element 2S. Said 95 drive pinion 2T and ratchet Wheel 28 are rotatable on said shaft 25 independently of said transmission gear 26. Coacting with the toot-hed periphery of said transmission gear 26 is a yieldable datent B0, to normally retain im and engagcable by a spring pressed pivoted pawl 34 with which said transmission gear 31 is furnished. Said transmission gear 31 is engaged by a yieldable detent (not shown) in the same manner and for the same purpose as is the transmission gears 26.

Suitably secured to and within the housing 15 and aligned with one another, directly below said drive pinion 27, are the electro-mag net coils 35 and 36 having respective central bores 37 and 38 in which are slidably movable the respective armatures 39 and 40. At their respective lower ends in said bores 37 and 38 said coils 35 and 36 hav'e inwardly extending flangial stops 41 and 42 for said armatures 39 and 40, respectively. Fixed to the upper end of said armature 39 and extending upwardly therefrom in operatively engaging relation to said drive pinion 27 is the gear rack 43. A compression spring 44 mounted about said armature 39 and having its lower end bearing against the top of said coil 35 and its upper end bearing against a flange 45 fixed to said armature 39 tends to m'ove and to hold said armature 39 at an upper predetermined limit.

Fixed to the bottom of said armature 39 and extending downwardly therefrom in axially aligned relation is the rOd 46 which passes in sliding relation through a central passage in said armature 40, which latter it normally carries on the flange 47 fixed to its lower end. A compression spring 48 mounted about said rod 46 with its upper end bearing against the bottom of said armature 39 and its bottom end bearing against the top of said armature 40 tends to hold. said armature 40 in normal position against said flange 47.

In their normal predetermined positions in which they are held by said springs 44 and 48 said armature 39 has its bottom at a predetermined distance above said stop 41 and said armature 40 is at a predetermined lesser distance, above said stop 42, the latter distance being accurately determined and arranged to be one-fifth of the former. Also the relation of said rack 43 and drive pinion 27 to said armatures 39 and 40 and to said registering wheel 18 and the above described gear train therebetween is such that when said coil 36 is energized and said armature 40 is thereby drawn down from its said normal position until it strikes its said stop 42, then said register wheel 18 will be rotated through an arc to indicate an additional unit on its registering face, and when said coil 35 is energized and said armature 39 is thereby drawn down from its said normal position until it strikes its said stop 41, then said register wheel 18 will be rotated through an arc to indicate five additional units on its registering face.

During the downward movement of said armature 39 said armature 40 will be carried downwardly with it until it is arrested by said stop 42, whereupon said armature 39 will continue its downward movement against the compression of said spring 44 until it strikes its said stop 41.

The means and functions, for securing the energization of said coils 35 and 36 will hereinafter be fully described.

Similar to the disposition of said coils 35 and 36 below said drive opinion 27, there are fixedly disposed below said drive pinion 32 in axially aligned relation the three electrO- magnet coils 49. 50 and 51 having respective inner bores 52, 53 and 54 at the respective bottoms of which are the inwardly extending flangial stops 55, 56 and 57. Movably mounted in said bore 52 is the armature 58 which carries at its upper end the gear rack 59 in operative engaging relation with-said drive pinion 32 and which is held at a predetermined normally raised position in said bore 52 by the compression spring 59 mounted thereabout with its upper end bearing against a flange 60 on said armature 58 and its lower end bearing against the top of said coil 49.

Extending downwardly from the bottom of said armature 58 through said bores 52 and 53 and into said bore 54 is the rod 61, which on flange 62 in said bore 53 supports the armature 63 and on flange 64 in said bore 54 supports an armature 65, both said armatures 63 and 65 being slidably mounted on said rod 61. A compression spring 66 bearinnr against the bottom of said armature 58 and against the top ofsaid armature 63 tends to hold the latter against said flange 62, and a compression spring 67 bearing against the bottom of said flange 62 and against the top of said armature 65 tends to hold the latter against said flange 64. In their normal predetermined positions in which they are held above their respective stops by said rod 61 and by said springs 59, 66 and 67, said armature 58 is at a distance above said stop 55 which is accurately determined and arranged to be two and one-half times as great as the distance from the bottom of said armature 63 above its said stop 56` and to be ten times as great as the distance from the bottom of said armature 65 to said stop 57. The relation of said gear rack 59 and drive pinion 32 to said armatures 58, 63 and 65 and to said registering wheel 19 and the above described gear train therebetween is such that whensaid coil 49 is energized and said armature 58 is thereby drawn down from its normal position until it strikes said stop 55, then said register wheel 19 will be rotated through an arc to indicate five additional tens on its registering face; when said coil 5t is energized and said armature `63 is drawn down from its normal position thereby until it strikes its stop 56, then said register wheel 19 is rotated through an arc to indicate two additional tens; and when said coil 5l is energized and said armature 65 is drawn down thereby from its normal posi ion until it strikes said stop 57, then said register wheel 19 is rotated through an arc to indicate one additional ten on ifs registering face.

The means and functions for securing the energization of said coils 49, 50 and 5l will hereinafter be fully described. In the eX- amplc of the apparatus described herein and shown in the drawings for illustrating the invention, said coils 35, 36, 51 and 49 function to cause the apparatus to count and register pennies. nickles, dimes, and half dollars, respectively; and said coils and 50, by simultaneous operation function to count and register quarter dollar pieces. Said gear racks 43 and 59 are adjustably limited in their upward movement by respective screws 68 extending downwardly through lugs 69 attached to said casing 15 above said flanges and 60 and extending downwardly therethrough into engaging relation to respective lugs 70 formed on each of said flanges 45 and 60.

Pivotally supported to said casing 13 for transverse pivotal movement each with one end extending inwardly through the wall of said casing 15 through the slots 71 and the other end extending inwardly through the slots 72 in the wall of said housing 13 are a series of contacter levers 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78, respectively disposed at different levels corresponding to the levels of said respective vertically spaced annular coin runways 12 of the asserting mechanism; said lever 73 having its inner end extending into the dime runway, lever 74 into the penny run way, lever 75 into the nickel runway, levers 76 and 77 both into the quarter-dollar runway, and lever 78 into the half-dollar runway. In said casing 15 each of said levers 73 to 78, inclusive, has a tension spring 79 connected thereto and to said casing 15 which tends to hold its respective lever in a normal predetermined position against one edge of a rcspective slot 71. In the normal position said levers 73, 74, 75, 77 and 78 have the ends thereof which extend into said casing 13 substantially radially arranged with respect to the latter, but said lever 76 has its end which is in said casing 13 normally disposed at an angle to that of lever 77 so that they are in spaced apart relation circumferentially in said quarter dollar runway 12, the lever 76 being before the lever 77 in the direction of movement of said rotatable carrier 11 as indicated by the arrow X in Figure 2.

In said casing 15, in operative relation to said levers 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78, respectively, are the respective spring contacts 80, 81, 82, S3, 84 and 85 each adapted to receive, in contacting relation, its respective lever when moved thereto against the tension of its respective spring 79 to make electric Contact therewith for the completion of a current path as and for the purpose hereinafter more full describcd. Said spring contacts 8l) to 85, inclusive, are insulated from said casing 15 by the strip 86 of insulating material which supports them. From said spring contact 80 an insulated conductor 87 makes electrical connection to one side of said coil 51; from said contact 81 a lead 88 makes connection to said coil 36; from both of said contacts 82 an d 83 a conductor 89 makes connection to said coil 35; from said contact 84 a conductor 90 makes connection to said coil 50; and a conductor 91 makes connection troni said contact to said coil 49; and the other side of eacl of said coils 35, 36, 49. 50 and 5l is connected to a common supply lead 92 for connection to one side of a source of direct current (not shown). Each of said levers 73 to 78, inclusive, is connected through their respective pivotal connection on the support member 93 to said casing 15 from which a lead 94 is connected to a ground connection 95. From the above description and an inspection of the drawings, it will be obvious that as a penny coin is carried around by said carrier 11 it will be caused to make a passing engagement with said lever 74 whereby the latter is moved on its pivot, to carry the end thereof in said casing 15 against said contact spring 81 and a current path established therebetween. The length of said lever 74 within said casing 13 is such that when a penny coin cornes in passing engagement therewith, it will move pivotally into its slot 72 against the compression of said contact spring 81 to permit passage of the penny thereby, contact between said lever 74 and its contact spring 81 being insured by having such contact established before said lever 74 is made to completely pass into said slot 72. A source of direct current having been connected on one side to said conductor 92 and on the other side to ground said coil 36, by said establishment of current path between lever 74 and contact spring 81, will be energized, and armature 40 will be drawn down thereinto with a consequent actuation of 'said rack 43l and driving pinion 27 whereby said register wheel 18 is moved into position to register, additionally, one unit or in this case one cent. Although the coin is made to pass rapidly through its engaging relation with said lever 74, the duration of time during which contact is made is sufficient for the movement of the re 'staring and actuating parts to function an to return to their normal positions. The registering is further insured through having contact between said lever 74 and contact 81 made against the compression of the latter, since appreciable length of time ensues during the compression of said contact 81 by the lever 74 and coliseilueiit release of compression, during all oi' which electrical contact is retained therebetween. 'tci' the penny passes away from engagement with the lever 74 the spring T9 ot the latter returns the saine to its normal portion to lie in the path of any succeeding penny coin, and at the same time the rack 43 and solenoid 40 are returned to their normal positions by said compression spring 44, the ratchet pawl 30 permitting the return of said rack 43 without the movement of the reg istering gear of the said gear 27. In the same manner said lever 75 when actuated by passing engagement of a nickel coin, will iiiake contact with said contact 82 whereby said coil 35 is energized and said armature 39 is actuated to move the registering apparatus to registertiveadditionalunits. Intheinovementot said armature 39 downwardly, said armature 40 will be carried downwardly therewith iintil the latter strikes said stop 42 after which the movement of said armature 39 will be against the compression of said spring 48; and upon release of said lever 75 said spring 44 will return armature 39 to its normal position and said spring 48 will hold said armature 40 down until the latter is engaged by said flange 47 and raised thereby into its normal position. In like manner said levers 73 and 78 will be movedby passing engagement, respectively, with a dime coin or a half dollar coin to make electrical Contact in the circuit of coils 51 or 49, respectively, whereby said driving pinion 32 and rack 59 are actuated to move said tens Wheel 19 to register, respectively, ten or tift units additionally. When a uarter do lar coin is carriedaround by sai carrier 11 it will be caused to come into passing engagement with said levers 77 and 76 successively with an appreciable interval of time between such successive engagements. During this interval said lever 77 will make contact with said Contact 84 whereby solenoid 50 is energized and armature G3 is moved downwardly until it strikes said stop 56 and said registering wlieel 19 is moved to register two tens, additionally, following which said lever 77 is released from contact with said contact 84 and said spring 59 returns said rack 59 and armatures carried thereby to their original normal positions. Then said lever 76 will be moved and caused to make contact with contact 83 and said coil 35 will be energized to cause tive units to be additionally registered by said register wheel 18, after which said spring 44 will return said rack 43 and armatures 39 and 40 to their original positions. It will be clear that the movement of said lever 76 can commence before seid lever 77 has returned to its normal position and even before said lever 77 has moved from contacting relation with said contact 84 provided, however, that lever 76 does not make contact with said contact 83 before lever 77 moves out of contact relation with contact 84, nor before said rack and pinion 59 and 32 have been returned to their normal position.

In Figures 4 and 5 are illustrated an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the coins themselves serve as electrical conductors for bridging spaced apart contact members to energize respective solenoids, instead of serving to move contact making levers. In this embodiment respective tingers 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 and 101 mounted to said casing 13 and insulated therefrom by the blocks 102 and 103 extend into the respective coin track-ways in the manner similar to that of levers 73 to 78, the two spring fingers 99 and 100 being both arranged in the quarter dollar track-way in successively aligned arrangement in the path of the c oin therethrough so that a quarter coin passing thereby will make electrical contact successively, first with said spring finger 100' and then with spring finger 99. A ground connection 104 is made from said casing 13 whereby when a coin passes in engagement with a spring finger it will make sliding contact with it and said casing 13 or its respective track-way and thereby com lete current path to a respective solenoid. n other respects the functions of the apparatus of Figures 4 and 5 are substantially the same, as those of Figures 1 to 3.

I claim:

l. A single accumulating register for coin counting machines adapted to move coins of several denominations in different paths according to their respective values, comprising a series of registering unit and multipleunit wheels having actuating gears and carry over means, intermediate unit and multi leunit wheels` transmission means inclu ing racks and pinions adapted to cooperate with the actuating gears of said unit and multipleunit wheels, electro-magnets and armatures corresponding to diii'erent denominations of coins in operative relation for actuating said racks, electric circuits for said magnets, and coin actuated circuit make and break devices for said magnet circuits.

2. A single accumulating register for coin counting machines adapted to move coins of several denominations in different paths according to their respective values, comprising i a register wheel having an actuating gear; transmission means including a rack adapted to cooperate with said gear; an armature in actuating relation with said rack; an electroinagnet in operative relation to said armature adapted to actuate the same to operate said rack; means tending to move said armature to and hold it at a predetermined normal position with respect to said electro-magnet;

means adapted to limit and predetermine the distance of movement of said armature from said normal position, when actuated by said electro-magnet; a second electro-magnet; a second armature in operative relation with said second electro-magnet and in actuating relation with said rack; means for holding said second armature at a predetermined normal position with res ect to said second electro-magnet; means a apted to limit and predetermine the distance of movement of said second armature from its said normal position, when actuated by said second electromagnet; said armatures and their said distance limiting and predetermining means and the cooperating parts being so arranged and disposed that the distance of movement of said rack causable by one of said armatures is predetermined to be a fraction of that causable by the other of said armatures; electric circuits for said magnets, and coin actuated circuit make and break devices for said magnet circuits.

3. A single register device for coin counting machines adapted to move coins of several denominations in different paths according to their respective values, said register device having a series of registering wheels provided with actuating gears and carry over mea-ns intermediate adjacent wheels, transmission means including racks and pinions to cooperate with the actuating gears of the units and tens wheels of the register device, rack actuating electro-magnets and armatures corresponding to different denominations for coins, electric circuits for said electromagnets, coin actuated normally open circuit make and break devices in each circuit, certain of said electromagnets and armatures being adapted to actuate the rack and pinion of the units wheeltransmission means, and others of said electromagnets and armatures being adapted to actuate the rack and pinion .0f the tens wheel transmission means.

4. A single register device as defined in claim 3, in which ythe electromagnets and armatures corresponding to the different denominations of coins respectively have stop means adapted to limit the movement of said armatures to distance proportional to the value of the coin by which they are operated, whereby the register device will be operated one step or a plurality of steps according to the values of the coins producing a given actuating impulse.

5. A single register device as. defined in claim 3 in which the electromagnets and armatures corresponding to the different denominations of coins respectively, are predisposed in relation to each other whereby a given armature upon energization of its electromagnet is adapted to move through a distance proportional to the value of the coin by which it is operated, and whereby the register device will be operated one step or a, plurality of steps according to the values of the coin producing a given actuating impulse.

6. An accumulating register for coin counting machines adapted to move coins of several denominations in difterentA paths according to their respective values, comprising a series of registering Wheels including a units wheel and a tens wheel, having actuating gears and carry over means intermediate adjacent wheels, a units rack plate, intermediate transmission means between the actuat ing gear of the units registering wheel and said units rack plate, a tens rack plate, intel'- mediate transmission means between the actuating gear of the tens registering wheel and said tens rack plate, electro magnetic devices having a series of armatures respectively corresponding to different denominations of coins to be counted and movable proportionally to the value of the latter, said armatures comprising a penny armature adapted to move the units rack plate to turn the units registering wheel one step, a nickel armature adapted to move the units rack plate to turn the units registering wheel five steps, a dime armature adapted to move the tens rack plate to turn the tens registering wheel one step; a pair of quarter dollar armatures, one adapted to move the units rack plate to turn the units registering wheel five steps, and the other adapted to move the tens rack plate to turn the tens registering wheel two steps; and a half dollar armature adapted to move the tens rack plate to turn the tens registering wheel five steps; electro circuits for said electro-magnetic devices including switches; 0perating means for said switches.

7. An accumulating register for coin counting machines adapted to move coins of several denominations in different paths according to their respective values, comprising a series of registering wheels having actuating gears and carry over means intermediate adjacent wheels, a units rack plate, intermediate transmission means between the actuating gear of the units registering wheel and said units rack plate, a tens rack plate, intermediate transmission means between the actuating gear of the tens registering wheel and said tens rack plate, and electromagnetic .means having an interrupted current path and coin actuatable means to close said current path to produce register actuating strokes of said rack plates proportionally variable according to the values of the actuating coins.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day7 of March, 1928.

EDWARD P. DONNELLAN. 

